Hold on for one more day
by rae of sunshinexx
Summary: What happened after the call? What if Jack and Kate stayed at the tower to make sure nothing went wrong? What if he went to look for Locke... 2 NEW CHAPTERS UP!
1. Don't go into love alone

**Chapter one**

The leaves cracked under each of his heavy footsteps as each echoing crack reached her ears. Everything that had happened in the prior hours flooded into her memory and all she could do was let the tears take over. She thought about the fears of being pregnant, and having to go at it alone. Then visions of Juliet tearing apart her heart by kissing Jack blocked out any happiness she was trying to reach, hoping that maybe she could run into those moments that she held so close to her heart. A smile was the only thing that etched it's way onto her face as she thought about Jack, trying to comfort her because of what Sawyer said and then saying those four words she was dying to hear. _Because I love you..._

CRUNCH! Once again the nausiating noise reached her ears and she couldn't help herself as she turned around to face Jack. "Will you stop crunching the damn leaves?!?"

"Sorry..." Jack picked up the phone and looked at it once again. _This is going to get me home, away from everything, away from her..._Jack couldn't stand to think about the conscience of what he revealed to Kate, the walls that he had let down. He knew that she would never love him, and as much as it pained him, he knew why. He expected to much of her, pushed her to far, while Sawyer, just let her be. Once again he looked down to the phone before throwing it onto his backpack that laid on the ground. They had volunteered to stay up at the radio tower, for fear their signal would be gone if they left. Kate was still sitting on a log not far from Jack when he sighed, he had to go find Locke, he had to know why. "I'm going after him, Locke, here take this...just in case..." The hard metal of the gun drew Kate out of her thoughts as she felt it in her hand.

"Are you out of your mind...You had a gun on you the entire time...when John held you at gunpoint you could have done something? You could have defended yourself, but instead you just stood there..." Kate had stood up and moved closer to Jack throughout her speech, her hands shaking with every move. The tears that had remained in her eyes for most of the day were even more visable as she looked into Jack's hazel ones. Jack looked down only to see her hurt and anger and he couldn't take it. He tore his eyes away from her and looked over to his backpack and the radio, trying to advert her from his mind. "You want to protect me? Fine, now I'm protecting you. If you go after him I'm coming with you." Kate took the gun and placed it into the back of her jeans before returning to grab her backpack. Jack continued to look away from her until she spoke again only to shake his head. She wasn't coming with him, this was something he had to do, and he wasn't putting her in danger.

"No Kate. Your staying here, I'll take the gun but I'm not letting you come, it's not your battle to fight..."

"Oh and it's yours? Jack you maybe a hero but your not Superman. If he was willing to kill you before what makes you think that he's not willing to now? So ready or not I'm going with you." Jack sighed as he walked over to his backpack and picked it up, placing it over his shoulders and walking, in front of Kate, through the jungle. "Did you mean what you said before or were you just trying to make me feel better?" The silence that had been bitterly broken by Kate's words returned. He didn't answer her or even acknowledge the fact that she was speaking. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me..." Kate stopped walking and waited for Jack to turn around. When he didn't she tried to move closer to him but he flinched away from her. She stepped back and looked down to the ground, trying to muster the courage she had to ask him once more. "Or was it just an attempt at revenge..."

"Revenge?"Jack laughed a little as he finally turned around to face her, to only look away from her once again. _Those damn eyes..._he thought as he tried to block them out, the eyes he always found himself getting lost into.

"I break your heart you break mine..."Kate voice showed pain, the angst of his response building behind her every word. His eyes snapped right back to her's at the words. _I lost..._he said to himself. He lost the battle against himself, against his heart. Now that Kate knew, he would never be able to recover that strength he once had, that ablity to keep his feelings hidden.

"How'd you find..."

"Juliet. I kept wanting to go back for that day they sent us away and she told me the real reason why you didn't want me to come back for you..." Kate had revealed his lie, his secret and she saw the anger in his eyes, as though she had just told him that someone had betrayed him. "Jack, I didn't mean to hurt you. That was never..."

"Don't." Jack shook his head as he looked, once again, to the ground that seemed to give him strength. "I don't care what the hell goes on between you and Sawyer. I only put up with him for you. So now I don't have to anymore because I lied. I didn't mean any of it. I just said it so you'd keep going, so you'd keep moving." Jack turned back around and sighed as he tried to speak again but his emotions took over, his emotions of anger and hate but they were all masked by love. He hated to lie to Kate, tell her that it wasn't true, but he knew that she wouldn't let him go on if she knew that he loved her, she'd make him stay. He began to walk forward as he heard her continue to follow him. He didn't look back because he didn't want her to see him cry and Kate didn't want him to because her tears were those of a broken heart. Nothing broken their bitter silence except for the sound of a gun cocking in the distance. Jack stood in front of Kate, extistinctively, when out of the trees came John Locke with his gun pointed, once again, at Jack. Kate slowly reached back to the gun in the back of her pants and pulled it out.

"Kate get out of here. This is between Locke and I. You don't need to see this..." Kate nodded and placed the gun in the back of his jeans, so that Locke couldn't see, but before she walked away she leaned up, so that her head was beside Jack's and spoke softly into his ear.

"And just for the record, I love you too..." Kate let herself linger by Jack's touch before walking back through the trees. She could hear them talking for sometime before she heard gunshots.


	2. Our Thing

**Hold on For One More Day**

**Chapter Two.**

Kate hadn't moved quicker than when she stood and began to follow the sound of the gunshots. She froze when the trees around her began to move, signaling that someone was coming towards her. Kate slowly began moving again until she heard a voice. "Kate..." the voice was one of pain and Kate slowly began to speed up her pace as she came through the trees to see Jack grasping his arm.

"What happened?!?" She tried to move his hand in order to check on his wound but he continued to put his arm behind him. "Jack..stop. Let me see it..." she managed to make out between her silent tears. He resisted only a moment more before he finally moved his hand to reveal a gunshot wound just under his shoulder. "He shot you..."

"I think I won that battle..." Jack laughed only to be given Kate's pained glare in return. She grabbed the blue of his sleeve and ripped it off so that it wasn't in the way. "Kate, you have to help me get the bullet out..." Her head spoke for her as she vigoriously shook it. Jack turned away from her for a moment before placing his uninjured hand on her shoulder. "Kate listen to me. You have to do this...Please?"

Her silence flooded the area as she stood looking to the ground. Finnaly she closed her eyes for a moment before looking back to Jack. "What do I have to do?"

"I need you to first help me take off my backpack then I need you to get the alcohol out." The straps of the backpack caused him to gasp in pain and for Kate to let her tears continue to fall. Once the backpack hit the floor Kate opened it to find all the medical supplies he could carry. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before continuing to look through the backpack until she found the alcohol. She watched as he poured it over his arm and he cringed, trying to find the inevitable pain that was running through his body. He then poured the rest of the alcohol on his hands and looked to Kate.

"Your not going to pull it out yourself, are you?" Kate knew the answer as soon as she spoke but she the thought from her head. She remember the pain Sawyer went through when he did it and couldn't imagined standing by and watching.

"Kate, go over there and don't look..." Kate shook her head once again as she stood up straight and stood in front of him. She slowly counted in her head before moving to stand beside Jack on the opposite side of his wound.

"I'll stay." Kate closed her eyes as she heard his gasps of pain and she quickly grabbed his hand to comfort him and to help her take her mind off of the pain that was reaching her ears. She felt him let go of her hand shortly after and opened her eyes to see him grasping his bleeding arm and reached into her own backpack to get a rag.

"Your going to have to stitch it up. I can't do it with only one hand." Kate nodded as she went to Jack's backpack and got the needle and thread. At first the only thing she heard was his moans of pain before she suddenly smiled.

"This seems to be our thing huh?" She laughed when she saw him finally smile through the pain. Once Kate finished his arm she watched as he looked at it and smiled. "We better head back up in case someone calls," she suggested finally and watched as he nodded and led the way. It was as though it was fate because as soon as they reached the range of the tower the phone began to go off. Jack quickly ansered it only to be met with horror. Screams were echoing in the background as a familar voice came through.

"Jack...JACK!" Sawyer's voice only made Kate start to walk away from it's range. She didn't want to hear his voice anymore, the past mistakes and heartaches that went on with Sawyer was something she didn't want to remember at that time. "We need you to come back...NOW!" The phone cut out and Jack looked behind him to where Kate stood and ran his hand through his short hair.

"I'm going back." Kate stopped walking and turned around and came closer to him, to have him look away from her. She knew what was going to come next, as much as it broke her heart she knew that she would win the battle against him. "Your staying here..." He had looked back to her and she slowly tired to protest. "Please?" Kate nodded before she let a stray tear fall down her cheek. Jack started to walk away and Kate watched him as he reached the end of the jungle.

"Jack!" she yelled his name and ran towards him. She stopped in front of him and her eyes weren't holding any of her hidden emotions back. For once in her life Kate was showing her vulnerablity and as much as she wanted to run and hide from him, she couldn't. Through her silent sobs she smiled and looked up to Jack's brown eyes that bore into her's. "Be careful, alright?" Jack smiled and nodded before he watched her turn and begin to walk back up towards the tower. Jack caught up with her and grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him and he moved closer and kissed Kate.


	3. I told you I'd come back

**Hold on for one more day**

**Chapter Three**

The cold ground under Kate's bare back startled her when she finally began to wake up to only have those forbidden tears to flood her eyes. Jack was gone, he left while she was sleeping so that he wouldn't have to see her tears when he left. She began redressing herself and she paused to close her eyes and pray. She prayed that she would open the door and Jack would be standing outside the door waiting for her but deep down in her heart she knew that she might not look into his eyes, her safety blanket, ever again. The static of a walkie talkie brought her from her daydreams and she quickly searched the room until she found the walkie talkie that Jack had taken from Ben. A voice broke through the static saying her name and a smile etched onto her face. Earlier Jack had found another walkie talkie and set them onto the same channel for when he left.

"Kate?" His voice was soft, as that of a man who had been crying. Kate paused before she picked up the walkie talkie, holding it to her lips. In her mind she knew that he was long gone, even if she left she wouldn't be able to catch up with him before he reached the beach.

"Jack? Where are you?" The worry built up in every word was displayed through to Jack, she was alone, unarmed, and miles from home. _Home, _Kate thought as she paused her thoughts were interrupted by Jack's voice once again.

"I'm on my way back to the beach. Kate, I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye..." The salty tears that ached to be release finally one the battle as Kate began crying again, something that she had become quite familar with the past few days. Kate remained silent still holding the button, just breathing into the talkie. "Just promise me you'll be careful and come back for me?"

"I'll always come back for you." Then the unwanted static returned to the radio before it fell silent. Kate's silent sobs became louder and she slowly slid down the wall behind her bringing her knees to her chest. The walkie talkie remained silent and she knew that she wouldn't hear the static of Jack's radio any time soon.

Days went by and Kate still hadn't heard from Jack. She was living off of the food and water she had packed in her backpack but her supply was running out. One morning, as Kate was trying to eat, her ears were graced with the sound she was longing to hear. Static began coming through on the walkie talkie and she listened for the voice that would make everything alright, that would make her safe.

"Kate, are you there?" The sinking feeling in her heart continued to fall when she heard Hurley's voice. "Yeah Hurley I'm here." She listened closely to his next words, not only on the walkie talkie. Kate began walking towards the door and could hear Hurley's voice on the otherside. Kate slowly opened the door to reveal Jack, Hurley, Juliet, Sawyer and Desmond all standing in front of her.

"Dude." Hurley tapped Jack on the shoulder and he slowly turned around. He smiled through his tears of happiness as Kate opened the door completely and ran into his arms.

"I told you I'd come back for you." Jack whispered into her hair as she kept her arms around his neck. The glare's from Sawyer and Juliet didn't even bother them as Kate looked up to Jack and kissed him before laughing against his lips. He was there with her, he came back for her, and no matter what she would never let him leave again.


	4. Falling Slowly

Nothing's Gonna Change my World

**Chapter 4**

Slowly Sawyer's face fell as Kate kissed Jack. The pain in his heart did not subside when he relived what had gone on at the beach when he saw Jack with Juliet. He turned away from the group and walked out into the jungle, trying to shut Jack's words out, the look Juliet had when he said them. How she sat and cried on the sand for hours once he left, everything making Sawyer want to be sick.

**Past**

**"Jack, look at me!" Juliet had her hands on either side of Jack's face as he relucantly lookd down into her blue eyes. Juliet Slowly leaned up to kiss him but Jack pulled away. "What happened to you..." Jack slowly turned away as her cold grasp attached onto his wrist. "Jack..."**

**"I can't do this. Juliet...I love her." He could no longer feel her hand on his wrist and he looked up to see her brow burrowed, her blue eyes filling to the brim with tears. She saw a broken hearted woman standing before him and all he could do was look down to the ground.**

**"That night, after you saw her leave his tent, you pictured her instead of me, didn't you?" Jack fell silent and daringly took a glance to her. "You made love to Kate that night, not me, didn't you?" Her voice was rising with each of her words, trying to fight back her emotion. "ANSWER ME!" **

**"Yes." He watched as she slowly fell back, turning her back to him as he walked away, afraid for her to ask him more. **

**Present**

In his mind Sawyer knew that Kate had never truly love him, never loved him the way she loved Jack. but he always wished that she would realize Jack didn't love her, but now he knew that would never happen, he would never have another chance with Kate. When he returned to the rest of the group he saw Juliet, still standing lifeless, staring at the two. He knew that she felt the same way towards Jack that he felt towards Kate, both were inlove with people who would never love them the same way.

_DO NOT KILL ME! I'm so sorry that this chapter is extremely short. It was just a fill-in chapter. And it took SO LONG to update because I've really comtemplated on ending this story where it was but then I planned the whole REST of the story. It's probably going to end up being like 20 chapters. But yeah the next chapter is in the making. I write in school when I'm bored so everyday I add more and more. Later this week I should be able to update again. Leave reviews..their very appreciated. ALSO if you want to know about how I write Jate ask me because, I want to know if I write them right. People have told me that I understand how to write Jate, that I get how they are with each other, but I don't really see it. Tell me? love Rae._


	5. Ready, Set, Don't go

**Hold on for one more day**

**Chapter 5**

Jack never felt more at home as he did when he awoke lying beside Kate. His arm was gently laid across her stomach, her body melted into his own. Kate began to stir under his touch and a smile etched onto her face. Slowly all the memories of the past day flooded her mind and she remembered him coming back for her. "Morning," he whispered into her ear as her eyes fluttered open. They were in the radio tower alone, Desmond and Hurley were keeping watch outside and Juliet and Sawyer had decided to head back to the beach. Once Kate was fully awake she rolled over and looked into Jack's deep brown eyes, the eyes she got lost into.

"Jack, what happened at the beach?" She watched as his jaw tightened and as his eyes went dark. He looked everywhere but her as he sighed, trying to let out his every emotion he held back. His hands that were once warm against her arms had turned cold, it was as though he became lifeless.

"The other's, they came back for Ben...Kate, they killed three of them, there was nothing I could do..." Jack was now sitting up with his back turned to her and the only thing that stopped him was her touch. Kate placed her hand gently on his arm and her chin was resting in the hollow of his neck. "I didn't know what to do. They just killed..." but the tightening grip on his arm stopped him. He craned his neck to look into her eyes, to see her vigorously start shaking her head, eyes emotionless except for a small glint of fear that resided in her emerald seas.

"No, don't say who it was." She shut her eyes before she looked back up into his eyes. He had returned to looking straight ahead, into the distance, not wanting to let her see his failure. Slowly she stood and walked in front of him, placing a hand on either side of his face. "Hey listen, you said it yourself, there was nothing you could have done." Before she could go on, there was a knock on the door and Desmond appeared in the doorway and Kate slowly turned around to face him. His face was worn, almost lifeless, as he stood in silence.

"Ah, sorry brotha but it's time to go. Hurley and I think it's best to head out before the boat arrives back at the beach." Jack nodded as Desmond turned around and left the two alone once again. Jack quickly busied himself by packing up their few belongings. They stepped out of the radio tower to be met with an anxious Hurley hurrying them away and into the jungle. The begining of the trip was silent, no one spoke and the few noises came from the branches breaking under their feet. Finally they took an hour break before continuing on.

"Jack, what am I going to do?" Jack and Kate were away from Desmond and Hurley and Kate was sitting on a nearby log. "I don't want to run anymore." She had her hand on her arm, in an almost protective mannyer, and she was starring towards the ground. "But I'm scared of what will happen to me in jail, scared that I'll never get out again."

Jack hesitantly stepped forward and sat beside her on the log. "Then don't run. If you don't do it for yourself then do it for me. When we dock turn yourself in. And don't worry, I'll get you a good lawyer and we'll get through it, alright?" Kate nodded and placed her head on his shoulder, grateful for the temporary comfort. Soon their break was over and the group continued on in silence once again, apart from a few words between Jack and Kate.

Once they returned Kate kept herself away from the group, afraid to see who the missing members were and wanting to cut all ties with the people that she saw as her family so that the time in jail would be less painful. She was alone by the water, alone until Sawyer appeared from the jungle. He slowly sat beside her, starring out into the ocean. "So, how you and Jacko gonna work when he's back to saving people and your out on the run?"

Kate cringed at the thought, the though of having to run again. She just continued to stare into the ocean. "I'm done running, as soon as we dock I'm turning myself into the police." Her eyes never left the ocean, they never gave her away and showed her true confusion either. Silence fell between them, neither looked at each other and neither tried to speak. The question that Sawyer had been burning to ask slowly escaped his lips. "Do you love him?" Her eyes then drifted to his as she slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah, I love him." At that moment Kate wanted nothing more than Jack telling her it would be okay, comforting her and letting her know she was doing the right thing. The more she thought about it the harder it was to believe what she was doing, believe in never seeing the sun a free woman again.

"Then run, run like you used to. Don't turn yourself in. If he sees you in jail it will kill him, but if he thinks you left by choice then he will move on. I hate to say in, but the Doc's my friend and I can't see him hurt like that." He then stood up and made his way back into the jungle, leaving Kate, once again, alone.

The next few hours flew by, leaving Kate preparing to board the rescue frater. She gathered everything that she could fit in her backpack and she then stepped out of her tent for the last time. Jack soon met up with her and they stepped on the deck and waited for the shore.

Days went by on the frater, days Kate cherished, spending every moment with Jack, hoping and praying that they would never find the shore. But as soon as thouse thoughts came to her mind they were gon.e She could see the shore and as everyone stood on the deck, she waited to dock and be in Jack's arms for the last time.

The lurch forward shook the thoughts from her mind. she had to decide, right then and there, was she going to stop or was she going to run. Her decision was made as she set off she thought _Ready...Set..._

"Don't go." Jack's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up to him with tears in her eyes, everything she had just thought about, running away, was gone from her mind. She knew that she could run and break Jack like that, so she stood almost still as she wrapped her arms around his neck one last time, in a last effort for some sort of comfort and when she turned around she felt the cold clasp of the handcuffs on her wrists.


	6. No good deed goes unpunished

**Hold on for one more day**

**Chapter 6**

"Please rise for the honorable Judge Jacob Maverick." People throughout the courtroom stood until the judge reached his stand and motioned for them all to be seated. In the first row of the court, sat Jack. His disheveled appearence wasn't hidden by the suit he was wearing. His eyes were weary, of those of a man who hadn't slept in the past few days. And the reason for all of his heartache was sitting directly infront of him. There Kate sat, in the orange jumpsuit provided by the prison. Her eyes remained focused forward, afraid to look back and have her heart broken once again. Jack wouldn't have come for her, that's the thought that ran through her head all week. She heard Marc whisper something to a man behind her and when she turned to see who it was her eyes met Jack's. A smile appeared, breaking through her fear, and she just looked into his eyes until the sound of Marc's, her lawyers, voice broke into the momentary silence.

"My client, Katherine, has been charged with two degrees of manslaughter, one that was wrongly accused..." he stopped when he heard the plantiff lawyer yelling out _objection_. Marc knew the judge would side with the opposing forces, so he prepared to avoid mentioning it again. That was until he heard the judge mutter overruled, which meant he could go on. "As I was saying, one of the murders was wrongly accused and in my opinion one was a cause of self-defense. In the matter of Thomas Brennan, his death was not at the hands of Katherine Austen. The car that they occupied was being shot at. Miss Austen told Mr. Brennan to get out, but he refused. They were trying to escape from the police, who were after Miss Austen, and one of the bullets, that were being shot at them, reached Tom, resulting in his death." Kate cringed through every recollection of Tom's death, tears begging to be released from her eyes. She could hear his voice in her mind, calling her Katie and always joking with her about her need to run. Once she finally collected herself she realized that the plantiff lawyer had taken a seat and Marc was now standing again, looking to the ground as if guilty for what he was about to do.

"I would like to call a one, Dr. Jack Shephard, to the stand please." He sulked as he walked back to his seat beside Kate, refusing to look her in the eyes. He had betrayed her one wish, her one request that Jack didn't have to go on the stand, that he didn't have to save her again. When he finally found the courage to look at her, he lost it again, her stare boaring into him. "I'm sorry Kate, I had too. He's the best chance we got, and he refused to just sit back and watch the trial go by, he wanted to do it." He was whispering to her until Jack was sworn in and he stood again. The stubbornness that Marc conveyed about Jack in that moment made Kate almost want to laugh. He never cared what happened to him, as long as those he cared about were safe, and Kate was the same way. She wanted to protect his reputation, to make sure that when they heard his name they wouldn't think of him as _the man who fell in love with the fugitive_. "Dr. Shephard, you were on the island with Miss Austen, were you not?" The sound of Marc's voice brought her back to the trial, looking straight at Jack, trying to read his face but, as usual, he hid everything.

He nodded as he replied, "Yes, our plane crashed there. She found me with my side cut open from the crash, and she stitched it up for me." She smiled at the memory, the story he told her, the trust he gave her, everything that helped her live through their time on the island. She looked up and Jack with guilt in her eyes, for once she was truly realizing how much she had hurt him. The lies, the deceit, and now she was putting him through this, this trial, and he didn't deserve any of it. "And Dr. Shephard, while on the island did you know about Miss Austen's criminal status?" She knew that he would have no problem with this question, because he was the first to find out and keep her secret. "Yes, I found her mugshot while I was working on the Marshall. Myself and a man named Hurley were the only two who knew in the begining of our stay and I felt it best to keep her secret, we all got fresh starts on the island and if she wanted to tell them about her past then it was her choice, not mine." Marc nodded to Jack as he looked up to the judge and stated that he had no further questions.

A woman stood from the plantiff side, looking strict with her hair up in a tight bun and her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Mr. Shephard..." _Doctor_, Jack muttered as he continued to look at her as she moved closer to where he was seated. "So, you are saying that while on the island you and Hurley were the only two who knew about Miss Austen's criminal status, correct?" Jack shook his head and was about to answer when she cut him off once again. "Really? Because the way you stated it was that you kept her criminal status to yourself and left it up to her to tell them, and in my own personal experience with criminals they usually don't run around flaunting the fact that their wanted for murder."

His voice was icy as her answered, his glare mirroring his words. "Yes I did say that..." The lawyer's mouth formed a malicious grin until Jack opened his once again, "but that doesn't mean that they didn't know." Her face fell into a frown and she was about to ask another question when Jack continued on. "Hurley had let it slip once to some of the other's what they had found and one in particular used it against her in a situation causing her to reveal her secret to the camp." Jack had paused at the thought of Sawyer, trying to forget the man that had caused him more trouble than anything, and the lawyer realized he was finally done, excusing him from the stand and returning to her seat. Witnesses came and went, many explaining their encounters with Kate. The last man that came on was the man Kate was staying with while she was in Australia.

Ray sat on the stand looking everywhere but at Kate. His prosthetic arm hanging limply at his side. The lawyer slowly approached him and asked him about the time Kate spent at his house, his accent thick as he answered. "Annie stayed with me on my farm, I gave her a place to stay and a job and in return she helped me do the daily chores. It killed me to turn her in, but like I told Annie, I had a hell of a morgage and I needed the money." His gaze then turned apologetically to Kate. "Annie's a good person, and I shouldn't have turned her in, no matter the amount of money I was getting." As there were no further question, Ray was excued and the jury dispersed back to their room, court ending for the day and Kate's verdict being released the following afternoon.

Jack searched his pocket for his keys, finding them and unlocking his car door. He drove home in silence, nothing coming from the radio, and the only noise was the sound of his breathing. When the car finally pulled into the parking area of his apartment complex everything fell apart. The engine was shut off and Jack gripped the steering wheel, placing his head in the center of it. He slowly let all of his walls, sobbing into the steering wheel. All the thoughts that he tried to push to the back of his head, resurfaced and haunted his thoughts. He didn't want to know what would happen to him if she was convicted, if she was sent away for life.

Jack managed to collect himself enough to make it into his apartment. He dropped his coat on the floor and laid down on the couch, letting himself slowly drift to sleep. When he finally awoke, he ran upstairs to get a shower and get ready for Kate's verdict. When he looked in the mirror of his car before leaving he sighed, he looked no better than he had the day before. Stubble on his face was as visable as the dark circles that had increased from his lack of rest the night before. He sat in the same spot he did the day before, directly behind Kate. As she was brought into the court room his heart broke, her face was swollen, as if she had just stopped crying. Her eyes lit up when she saw him sitting behind her again but the weight of the situation brought her back to reality. Her eyes fell back into their lifeless state and she slumped down as she sat.

They all stood for the judge again and were then seated. The jury speaker stood as the judge spoke, "Has the jury reached a verdict?" Jack cringed at the words, "Yes we have your honor." He didn't know what happen for part of the trial. When Kate was on the stand he left the room, if she wanted him to know what she did and why then he would let her tell him alone, not in a room full of people. The said their usual opening statement and finally the verdict was read. "On the account of armed robbery, we find the defendent guilty. on 2nd degree manslaught of Thomas Brennan we find the defendent, not guily and on the account of Wayne Janssen we find the defendent not guilty on the account of personal protection." Jack heard Kate's gasp as the attention of the room was now brought to the judge. "I sentence the accused to 6 months in fedreal prison and a year of parole. Cas dismissed."

Jack sat in shock as they escorted Kate out of the room, smiling at her as she went. He had promised her that if she was convicted he would come to the prison everyday he didn't have to go to the hospital and he was determined to keep that promise. The nezt two days he had to work but the first thing he was going to do on his day off was see her.

The two endless days of work were over and he was in his car driving towards the state prison in the Santa Clarita valley of California. They searched him as he entered the facility and they lead him to a room and he could see Kate sitting at a table waiting for him. He smiled to her as he sat across from her. "Hey," he muttered, tearse filling his eyes. Kate had yet to look into his eyes, afraid of what she might see. She knew that he hadn't really been taking care of himself and she knew it was her fault.

"Jack I have to tell you something." She was told that it was on December 15, the last day on the boat. The date of conception meant that her baby was also Jack's. "Jack, I'm pregnant..."

Jack opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but closed it again. Everything was running through his mind but only three words stuck out. "Is it mine?"

"December 15, 2001. Our last day on the boat. Jack..." She was cut off by a small smile that began forming on his lips.

"We're going to have a baby."

_Cheesy? Sorry if it is. I hate cheesy Jate fics. Please tell me if you ABSOLUTELY HATE IT. Also I have about 15 chapters that I have planned, all revolving around how the finale ended, the future flash-forward. But yeah if you guys hate it tell me and I'll try and rewrite the other events. :_

_rae._


	7. I've been changed for good

**Hold on for one more day**

**Chapter 7**

_Thanks everyone who continues reading. I'm sorry for the slow updates but I want to do this story justice and if I want to do that I have to write each chapter out in my notebook before I even touch a keyboard. But I have a storyplan for this fiction, and in the end it should be about 33 chapters so if you can bare with me I hope you like it. Also all of my chapter titles are parts of a song and have to do with the chapter. If you want to know what song or anything feel free to ask :_

_-Rae._

The mattress was hard and uncomfortable against her back. Three months, she had been in that cell for three months and she still had three more months to go. Her growing stomach was now showing, the bump proving that there was a child growing inside her. Jack had come to see her almost everyday in the past week and his plan was to do the same in the coming week. He knew that Kate prayed he would come and he couldn't break her heart, so no matter how tired he was he still managed to get up and drive out to the prison. He requested evening shifts at the hospital, so many days he would leave the hospital and head straight to Kate. Today when Kate was brought into the visiting area she saw Jack sitting with his head hung heavily into his hands. A guilty sigh escaped her lips as she walked closer to him, the bags under his eyes making him look his age. When Jack saw her coming he tried to look better but he knew that she could see through him. "You look terrible Jack..." her voice was barely over a whisper as she tried to grab his hands to only have him pull away. He knew she was right but he couldn't lay down knowing that Kate was in this place, this jail. "Jack, you have to take care of yourself. You keep coming to see me because you think it's what I want but I don't want you to come if your going to look more deprived of sleep each time." Her voice had risen as she spoke so she looked around to see if any of the guards had noticed. When none of them were looking her way she turned back to Jack and held her composure, lowering her voice, she continued. "It's just, I have so much time on my hands that I'm always spending it worrying if your taking care of yourself."

Jack slowly let out a laugh as he finally brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Your the reason I don't sleep at night. All I ever do is think about how their treating you. I worry that if they don't take good care of you then something will happen to the baby." Kate sighed as tears filled her eyes. She smiled to him before finally taking his hands in her own.

"Jack, don't worry about me and tomorrow don't come. Stay home and get some rest. Okay?" He nodded as the guard came to the table. "I'm sorry Dr. Shephard but you time is up for today." The guard smiled to them as he turned around, acting as though he didn't see them stand and hold onto each other for as long as possible. It broke both their hearts when they had to say goodbye, both had grown so used to seeing each other everyday for as long as they wanted that when they were apart it didn't seem right.

Later that night, as Kate lay on her cot, Sawyer's words flew into her mind. _If he sees you in jail it will kill him._ The tears threatened to fall once again and this time she let them. As Kate lie crying Jack starred up into the pale ceiling, thinking of everything that he's already missed. The first doctor's appointment, seeing the baby on the sonagram, everything that he would never get to do and the tears that were falling down Kate's cheeks so began to form in his eyes. On that night both Jack and Kate cried themselves into their own world of dreams.

The next two months were hard on both Jack and Kate, especially for Jack since he wasn't able to be with Kate while their child grew inside of her. He had limited himself to seeing her four times a week, sleeping the other three days. Everyday that Jack went to see her, Kate got a little bigger. On one day, however, she smiled to him as she handed him a piece of paper. The date on the paper was to early to be her due date so he looked up to her expectantly, waiting for an explaination. "It's my release date, their letting me out two weeks early Jack."

A small laugh escaped his lips alone with a smile. Jack ran his hand through his short, cropped hair. "Kate..." his smile continued to grow and his thoughts drifted. Only two more weeks and she's be home, she'd be with him, and she'd be free.

Days went by slower than before, days that they suffered through until finally it was July 2nd, the day of Kate's release. He smiled as she stood outside the large iron gates, the walls that had kept his life from him. He waited for a half an hour until they opened and Kate appeared, smiling. Jack had brought her clothes that he bought for her so that she would have something to wear when she was released. They both had decided that Kate would come life with him once she was let go. As he stepped forward to meet her, he felt her in his arms, her tears staining her cheeks. Jack pulled her back and wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. "Hey, it's okay. Your with me again. It's alright, your safe." Kate smiled and took one last look at the prison before bringing her attention back to Jack. She looked up into his eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as she brought her lips up to meet his. "It feels good to be home."

As Jack pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex he smiled at the look on Kate's face. He slowly led her up to the apartment and as she looked around the apartment he brought her bags up to their room. He came back downstairs to find Kate sitting on the couch starring out. "Hey, you okay?" Jack was now standing beside where Kate was sitting and bent down in front of her. Kate snapped out of her daze and looked to Jack. "What?" He laughed for a moment before shaking his hand and taking her hand in his.

"Nevermind. Come here I want to show you something." He helped Kate stand and led her upstairs. He showed her their bedroom and then he led her back down the hall to a closed door. Jack went behind her and placed both hands over Kate's eyes. "Close your eyes." He whispered into her ear as he opened the door, leading her into the middle of the room and then he told her to open her eyes once again. The gasp that came from Kate told him everything he needed to hear. Before he knew it, Kate had turned around and buried her head into the crook of his neck as she got as close to him as her baby bump would let her.

"Thank you Jack." she said as she let go and turned back around to look at the room again. The walls were a pale yellow with a white crib in the corner. The mobile above it had small hearts to match the ones painted on the walls. On the changing table was a blanket. Kate picked it up and read the **Daddy's Little Girl **lettering that was stitched into it and looked to Jack. "But how'd you find..."

"When I asked to see your records to see if everything was normal, I was the ultrasound. Listen Kate, I know you wanted to tell me and I'm sorry..." but Kate's smiled stopped him. She walked back over to him and stood on the tips of her toes and placed her lips against his.

"You did good Jack..." the rest of the day was spent with them sitting together, relisihing in the fact that soon enough they would be parents. Later that night, after they had both headed to bed, Jack awoke to an empty side where Kate had once occupied. He slowly got up and found that they light was on in the nursery he had made for Kate and the baby. He found her sitting in the rocking chair, once again starring out into nothing. This time he found silent tears falling down her face. "I'm worry Jack. I'm worried that I'll screw her up just like my mom screwed me up." Jack bent down in front of Kate and couldn't help but laugh. A wounded look appeared on her face until Jack smiled once again.

"Kate, both of our parents did a pretty good job of screwing us up and I'm afraid too but we can't think that we're doomed to parenting failure. If I had had a kid before the crash then I would have probably been the same kind of father that my dad was but because of you I've changed." Kate started to look away and he gently placed his hand on her cheek and brought her eyes back to look into his. "I've been changed for good Kate. Don't worry, we'll make sure that she has the best childhood we can give her. She'll be beautiful, and stubborn, and she'll be spoiled but she'll be perfect."

Kate laughed as she finally wiped her tears away and stood. "Come on let's go back to bed." A silence filled their room as they tried to succumb to sleep but Kate's voice broke through it. "Jack...promise me that no matter what we'll try our best..."

"I promise."


	8. Living is easy with eyes closed

Hold on for one more day

Chapter 8

"Jack, wake up. JACK!" Kate was breathing heavily beside him as he finally began to wake up. He went to ask her what was wrong until he felt water under his hand. Kate was nine months pregnant and had had a healthy pregnancy. Jack noticed that Kate's contractions were coming too close together for having her water just break and when he looked up he saw guilt in her eyes.

"Kate! Your fully dialated. Why didn't you wake me?!?" Jack was sitting at the base of the bed and he looked up to a silent Kate. Fear was spelled out on her face and he quickly softened his tone. "Alright, it's fine Kate. But I'm going to have to deliver the baby. Your going to have to listen to me, okay?" Kate nodded as he ran to get towels, hot water, and a pair scissors. He returned to the room and gace Kate instructions. "You ready?" When he saw her close her eyes and count to five he couldn't help but smile. Then she nodded and he told her to push. It took KAte and hour to give birth to their healthy baby daughter and as soon as Jack cut the cord he called the ambulance.

Jack walked into the hospital room to find Kate asleep. They had taken the baby to be tested and we're going to bring her back into the room when they were done. They told Jack that she was nine pounds, four ounces, and was twenty-one inches. When Kate finally woke up she saw Jack walking around the room with a pink bundle in his arms. "Hey," she said to get his attention, her voice still groggy with sleep.

"Hey," he had a smile on his face that could only be classified as one of a new father. He sat beside her on the bed and showed her the baby. "This is mommy." He looked so happy that all Kate could do was smile. He shifted the baby as he slowly handed her to Kate and then resumed his spot beside her. "We're going to have to name her soon you know." Kate nodded as she continued to look at the baby.

"I want to her to have a name like mine, where we can give her a nickname. Like Rebecca or Natalie..."

"Natalie, I like that. Can her full name be Natalie Rae?" Kate smiled and nodded her head as she placed it on Jack's shoulder. Jack had taken the next few weeks off of work so that he could spend time with Kate and Natalie. The hospital released both Kate and the bab two days after they were checked in, both on a good bill of health. Most of the day was spent with both Kate and Natalie napping and both only waking up to eat. There were moments when Jack thought he was going to break, moment when his fear was so real that he could feeel nothing else. To him the times when Natalie would wake up and Kate would still be sleeping were those moments. He would bounce her and try everything he could but the only thing that seemed to soothe her was his voice. He would pick her up and dance around the room, singing to her. One time Kate had awoken and followed the sound of his voice until she found them in the nursery, Jack bouncing Natalie and softly singing. "I've got yellow hearts, and pink hearts, and blue hearts for Natalie. I love her so, she'll never know, how much I love my Natalie." Kate smiled as she slowly stepped back into the hallway and headed down the hall to their room.

A few minutes later Kate look up from sitting on the bed to find Jack leaning on the door frame, watching her. "You checking me out?" she said jokingly, memories of the island flooded to her mind and all she could do was smile. Jack finished walking into the room and fell onto the bed, laying down beside where Kate was sitting. His eyes shut a bit until he felt Kate's hand on his chest. "I know your tired and all but I need you to do me a favor and bring Natalie and her carrier in here since neither of us are going to be awake and in the nursery." Kate heard Jack groan as he tried to sit up. She silently laughed and watched as he walked down to Natalie's room and reappeared in the doorway with her in the carrier. He set her carrier on the changing table on Jack's side of the bed and fell back onto the bed and into his peaceful sleep.

Most of the night Natalie slept peacefully until four in the morning when she began to softly cry. Jack took her out and took her down into the living room. He was too tired to sing to her so he walked over to his CD collection and put in a disc, skipping to his favorite song.

_Let me take you down_

_Cause I'm going to_

_Strawberry fields_

_Nothing is real_

_And nothing to get hung about._

_Strawberry fields forever._

Kate could hear The Beatles as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and noticed that neither Jack nor Natalie were in the room anymore. As she made her way into the living room she looked to see Natalie asleep in her other carrier and Jack sprawled out on the couch.

_Living is easy with eyes closed_

_Misunderstanding all you see_

Kate shut the power off on the player and heard him begin to stir. She leaned over the couch again to be met with big brown eyes, "Hey, didn't picture you as much of a Beatles fan..." Jack smiled as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Most people don't. Why don't you go back up to bed..." but Kate's look made him stop. "Jack, I've been sleeping all day, it's time you relaxed. Just leave Natalie here and we'll sleep on the couch. And Jack? If she cries, let me get her." Jack laughed as he moved over making room for Kate to lie down. Once they were comfortable Jack whispered "I love you" and right before he fell asleep again he heard Kate say "I love you too."

**I know. A little fluffy but trust me my story get angsty...like Jate. LMAO! I have up to chapter 11 written and I have 33 chapters planned but if I don't start getting reviews that people are reading this I might just stop updating but I don't want to do that because I love this story. :**


	9. Such a beautiful disaster

**Hold on for one more day**

**chapter 9**

Natalie's cries grew louder as he tried to soothe her. "Shh, come on Nat.I have to go back to work today and I can't do that if you keep crying." Kate had woken up at the sound of Natalie's cries and made her way down to the nursey. It had been two months since Jack had gone to work and today would be his first day back. Jack felt Kate wrap her arms around his waist and place her chin on his shoulder. "hey, I'm sorry she woke you up. I was trying to get her to go back to sleep before I left."

Kate smiled as she stepped forward and took Natalie from his arms. "It's fine, I was going to have to wake up soon anyway. Just go to the hospital, I know your just trying to stall." Jack laughed as he kissed her cheek. He then bent down and kissed Natalie on the head before leaving the room and heading to his car. The day at the hospital went by slowly, most of his day was spent doing paper work. He had called Kate twice and was about to call her again when there was a knock on his office door. When he opened the door he gaped at the woman standing in front of him. "Mom..." he muttered as she pushed past him and into the office. His heart stopped when he saw the picture he had placed on his desk that morning. It was a picture of himself, Kate, and Natalie on the day that Natalie was born. when his mother sat down, he sat behind the desk.

"So imagine Jack, for almost three months i thought my son was dead to find out that he was very much alive. I figured that all I had to do was wait and you'd call or something. So I waited, and waited, and finally after nine months I grew tired of waiting." She stopped and noticed that his eyes were not on her, but instead were on the picture frame that sat on his desk.Before he could protest, she picked up the photo and almost dropped it. "So is this the reason you didn't call...you knocked up some island whore...You couldn't call your own mother but you had time to get some money grabber pregnant...HOW can you be SO stupid..."

Before either knew what was going on Jack was slamming his hand down on the desk to silence her. She jumped from his studden agression and quickly shut her mouth. "Get out. You came here and acting like I never left, that I never got stranded on that island because of your ass of a husband. I went through hell and back and all you can do is critize the greatest thing that has happened to me. So, get out." Jack stood from his seat and walked over to the door, opening it and motioning her out. " I said get out." She slowly stood and as she walked out the door she handed him his picture and turned down the hall.

As Jack drove home his mind began to wonder. He thought hoq much his life had changed since he returned from the island how much his priorites had shifted.

_Scar tissue that I wish you saw  
Sarcastic mister know it all  
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you 'cause  
With the birds I'll share   
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view _

The radio began blarring a song that Jack had grown to love over his life and thought about the happier moments in his life. He began think of himself and Kate brought a smile to his face, how she first stumbled upon him shirtless, and bleeding from the side. As he listened to the lyrics the more he realized they related to his relationship with her.

_Push me up against the wall  
Young Kentucky girl in a push-up bra   
Fallin' all over myself  
To lick your heart and taste your health 'cause  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view... _

The second part of the song made him think of the first few times he spent alone with Kate, getting to know her until he finally fell head over heels for her. He thought of the very first thing he notcied about Kate, her eyes. Those emerald eyes that he'd gotten used to seeing in the past year, those beautiful eyes, which he secretly hoped were passed down to their daughter. They weren't only the first thing he noticed but the first thing he fell in love with.

_Blood loss in a bathroom stall  
Southern girl with a scarlet drawl  
Wave good-bye to ma and pa 'cause  
With the birds I'll share  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view_

The birds. It wasn't the first time that the song had used those lyrics but a sudden memory came to mind. It was the first time that he and Kate held hands, it wasn't necessarily romantic but it was the first real time he had actually touched her. It was in the cockpit of the plane, while they were trying to get up. She had needed help and he offered his hand to her to pull her up, and she gratefully took it.

_Soft spoken with a broken jaw  
Step outside but not to brawl  
Autumn's sweet we call it fall  
I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl and  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view... _

Autumn was when they met, the end of September, but that wasn't the only the memory, or rather regret, that filled his mind. The mistakes, the wait, the constant reminder that another man was getting closer to the woman he was falling for. Everything that led to the _I love you_ that spilled from his lips right before he had called for the rescue boat. If he had lived for the moment then maybe things would have been differently but none of it really mattered anymore because he had his beautiful family.

_Scar tissue that I wish you saw  
Sarcastic mister know it all  
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you 'cause  
With the birds I'll share   
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view  
With the birds I'll share  
This lonely view..._

Sarcastic mister hit him hard and at that moment Jack slammed the button shutting it off and then he began walking up the drive way. He opened the front door, expecting to see Kate's smiling face there to greet him but she was no where to be found. He slowly made his way up the stairs and walked back to the bedroom to see Kate lying on the bed, Natalie sprawled out on her her stomach, Kate having her arm protectively holding her there. A smile appeared on his exhausted features as he softly walked into the bathroom and changed into his flannel pajama pants before climbing in the bed beside Kate.The sudden weight shift woke Kate and Natalie from their sleep. Natalie began to wail and soon Jack found himself reaching out for her. "Come here baby girl," he muttered as he picked her up and moved her to lay on his own chest. Kate just watched for a few minutes before breaking into a smile at the scene before her. the only thing to disturb their peace was the sound of the doorbell echoing throughout the house. Kate motioned for Jack to stay and slowly made her way to the front door. Her knees almost gave way to the shock and hatred that ran through her as she starred at the person on the otherside. "Hello Juliet..." she managed to say before resisting the urge to slam the door shut once again. 


	10. Don't lie and say that it's okay

Hold on for One more day

Chapter 10

Jack had drifted off to sleep with out his knowledge. The next thing he knew Kate was shaking him slightly and telling him to wake up. He was about to look at the clock when Kate's tears stopped him. he had noticed throughout the past year that only three things made her cry, the mention of something from her past, someone she loved getting hurt, and him. He never told Kate that he had heard her crying that day in the jungle, after he had told her he loved her, didn't tell her that he knew she ran to Sawyer crying when she saw him with Juliet. He hadn't told her and he didn't plan on telling but because he knew he understood her better. "Kate, what's wrong?" He saw her point down the hall but her mouth could not comprehend what her mind was trying to say. He motioned for Kate to take Natalie and slowly headed down the hall. He stopped when he saw Juliet standing in the kitchen holding a baby in herarms. He held his breathe as he saw an evil smile etch it's way onto her face.

"Don't worry Jack, he's not yours." he now understood why Kate had woken him up crying, she had thought that the baby had been his.Jack looked at her scathingly, walking towards the door and opening it, motioning her out. "Your already kicking me out? I mean I at least thought you'd hear me out..." but her statement was cut short when Jack rounded on her.

"I told you to leave me alone and you still came back, what do you think I should do? Juliet, I'm happy now, please?" Juliet sighed as she looked down to her new nephew, finally excepting defeat. She slowly nodded as she walked out the dront door. Jack sighed as his forehead rested upon the front door. He didn't notice Kate until she spoke.

"When did you tell her not to come and see you? When you left me up in the radio tower for days or when I was in jail?" Jack was still standing with his back to her and didn't have the heart to turn around. "It was before we left the island. I told her that there would never be anything between us and that was it." kate was still keeping her distance from him when she put her head down. The jealousy that didn't deserve to boil through her veins ran through them and showed in her green orbs. The nightmares that stemed from seeing him with Juliet ran through her memory and she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Did you sleep with her?" She watched as his jaw tightened as he finally turned around to meet her tear filled eyes. He began to move closer to her but she quickly stepped away. "No! Just answer me. Did you or did you not sleep with her?" Jack remained silent for what seemed like forever before he spoke again, voice cracking, "yes, I slept with Juliet." Kate turned around and was about to storm off when Jack's voice stopped her. "You have no right to be angry." His voice was not angry as she thought it would be but was instead sad, the pain that he had felt at seeing her with Sawyer resurfaced into it and she couldn't help but sigh. " I know." And with that she left the room and headed back up the stairs.

That night, Jack found it better to sleep on the couch and leave Kate be but halfway through the night he found her shaking him awake. "I can't sleep." Jack slowly moved over so that Kate could lay beside him. "Jack, I'm sorry. I know I have no right to be mad, that it hurts me just as much as I hurt you but you ahve to understand. There's always this cloud hanging over me telling me that maybe she deserves all this and I don't. Maybe..." but his voice cut her off as he propped himself up on his elbow so that he could look at her. "Don't start with the _you don't deserve me_ again. I don't care what other people think, this is what I want and nobody but you can take that away from me." Kate smiled as she leaned forward and placed her lips to his. Kate grabbed his hand and motioned for him to stand and then pulled him up the stairs and into their bedroom.

The next morning Jack woke up to the soft cry from the baby monitor at four in the morning. he made his way down the hall and into the nursery to where Natalie was now up and tried to get her to calm down. her wails continued to grow louder and after an hour, a full bottle, and having her diaper changed, Jack gave up. Jack carried her back down the hall to his and Kate's bedoom. He saw Kate stir at the sound of Natalie's cries and motioned for her to stay in bed He laid down on his side and placed Natalie in between them. He placed his hand on her stomach and within a few moments she was asleep. "How'd you know that would work?" Kate whispered as she turned on her side to see them. She placed her hand on top of Natalie's peach fuss hair. it had turned chocolate brown and Kate could see tiny curls forming. her eyes were brown, just like her fathers, and she had Kate's nose. It was times like these where Kate could actually study Natalie and see how much she really looked like the two of them. She realized that she had never gotten an answer when she looked over to Jack, she watched as his chest rose and fell with the sighs of a deep sleep.

A week had passed and neither Jack nor Kate mentioned their fight from that night. They moved past their past mistakes and decided that all that mattered was that they were together and they had Natalie. Halfway through the week Jack got a call from his mother asking to meet her grandchild. Jack had told her that it was upt to Kate and to his own surprise she wanted to go. They were going to go to Margot's house on Jack's day off and stay for lunch. As Kate sat in the passenger seat of the car, she began fidgeting around. She kept looking back to make sure that Natalie was okay and when she returned she would occupy herself with her hands. finally Jack reached over and placed his hand atop hers. "Kate stop sorrying so much. Everything will be fine, trust me." She slowly nodded and brought her gaze to the window. Before Kate knew it she was looking down a surburan street that was on the outskirts of LA county, out in Valencia. She had moved away from Jack's childhood home once she found out that her husband had died and moved into a two story condo. Jack slowly parallel parked the car directly in front of her house and got out of the car to get Natalie. "Don't worry everything will be fine, trust me." Jack was trying to comfort her as they walked and it only cause a smile to form on her lips. She was about to thank him until they were greeted by the presence of Margot.

"Jack," she said with a fake sound of surprise. Kate had to contain a snicker as margo walked over to Natalie and began to cooe over her. "Oh come in," She cut off Jack's open mouth and headed inside. Kate looked to Jack as he sighed and motioned for her to follow Margot inside. The house was furnished just as Kate had expected. Most of the house was hardwood except for a small carpet office that's dorrs were barely cracked. Kate stopped to try and peek in when Jack had stopped her. "Thank you for doing this," he whispered as he held onto her hand. Margot sunddenly stopp and turned around motioning for them to enter. Jack sat Natalie's carrier down and almost instantly she began to cry. Kate picked her up and tried to soothe her before excusing herself and taking Natalie out onto the front porch. Jack sighed and looked to his mother. "You have a beautiful daughter Jack..."

Jack didn't answer her, he just looked down. "Why did you do that?" Margot tried to object when Jack cut her off again. "No, don't act like you didn't just ignore her completely." Margot didn't say anything but instead walked over to the mantle and grabbed a picture from it. She sat beside him on the couch and handed it to him. "Now Jack look at that picture and tell me what doesn't fit..." Jack looked down and refused to answer his mother. "Her, Kate, she doesn't fit with our family. Jack she's...she's white trash...I heard what she was tried for on the news and how she grew up...she just doesn't belong with you..." her words were drug out, like she was revealing a secret. he was about to respond until he heard a soft sob and then feet moving quickly out of the house. He looked to his mother, who had a smile on her face. Jack turned and ran to the car, where Kate was putting Natale into the car.

"Kate listen..." but she rounded on him before he could continue. "What? Do you want me to hear how I don't belong? How I'm trash?!? Jack...you just sat there, you didn't even defend your own daughter..." Jack had remained calm throughout her entire tarrant and when she finished he went off. "This is what you wanted isn't it Kate? These past two weeks you've been searching for things to fight with me about, blowing everything out of porption just so you can blame someone else so that you can run and not feel guilty about it..." Slowly Kate's eyes began to fill with tears and she shut the car door on Natalie's side and turned to Jack. "Maybe she's right Jack, maybe I don't belong..."

"Kate, don't do this. Please..." but Kate was already in the front seat of the car and backing down the driveway. Jack finally let the tears come down as he watched her drive away.


	11. Your chasing the ghost of a good thing

Hold on for One more Day

Chapter 11

As a child, Jack hated the beach. The sand that some how found it's way onto every inch of his body, the cold Pacific Ocean, the large pieces of seaweed, it repulsed him. He listened to the waves crashing down against the shore and to the cars on the freeway. He lost track of how long he was sitting there and when he looked at his watch he kenw Kate would already be asleep.

_I guess it's luck but it's the same_

_Hard luck you've been trying to tame_

_Maybe it's love but it's like you said_

_Love is like a role that we play._

The walk up the stairs took longer than usual and as much as he wanted to believe that they would fight for an hour, apologize and then be done with it, he knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

_But I believe in you so much._

_I could die from the words that you say._

The upstairs was silent and fear began to run through his veins as he ran to their bedroom. The drawers were empty and thrown across the floor and all of Kate's things were gone. He left their room and ran to Natalie's to find it in the same condition, drawers hanging out of the dressers. His back soon found the wall and slid down it until his knees were to his chest. He dropped his head into his hands and he began to cry. He hated the fact that he always let his emotions take over him so easily, but this time it was different. This time his entire family, his reason to live, walked out on him and everything seemed to fall apart.

_And your chasing the ghost of a good thing_

_Haunting yourself as the real thing._

_It's getting away from you again_

_While your chasing ghosts._

That night Jack went to the bar closest to his house and drank until all of his problems went away. He had to be escorted out of the bar by the owner when they wanted to close. He almost got lost on his way home and once he reached the front door he broke down again. He sat against the door until he finally found his keys and went inside. The radio was still playing and Jack shut it off before falling on the couch and into his drunken slumber.

As Kate turned her key in the door she gently pushed the door open. She found Jack still sleeping on the couch, day old stubble upon his fce. She sighed as she walked over to where he was and sat in front of him. "Jack, Jack!" He slowly work up, his head pounding as the light invaded his view. Kate was sitting beside him before she got up and walked into the kitchen to get him something to drink. "Here..." she whispered with a sad smile. After many failed attempts, he was finally able to sit up. He avoided eye contact with Kate at every cost until she placed her hands on the sides of his face and pulled his eyes up to meet hers. "What are you doing to yourself?" Jack pulled his head away from her hands and returned to drinking his drink.

Silence filled the room and eventually Jack sighed. "You left without a word, you didn't even give me a chance. I had to drink away the pain, that's why I did it. That's what I'm doing to myself." He stood and walked past Kate, and into the kitchen.

"So instead of coming and looking for her you drink, you know what Jack, your more like your father everyday. You try and try to say taht your different yet each day your start doing the same things you said he did to you..." She was standing in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. Jack had dropped the thing in his hand onto the counter and he stood, gripping the edge. The muscles of his back constricted in anger and Kate found herself taking a step back. The words she thought were coming never came but instead they both just stood in silence. She slowly alked forward placed her hand on his back. "Jack its just...I need to get away for a while. Natalie and I are going to stay with someone and I promise that we'll be back..." Jack had finally turned around and was looking Kate.

"Why do you always have to run Kate?" His voice was barely above a whisper and his face showed his defeat. Kate finally stepped away from Jack and walked over to her keys that she had abandoned on the table. "Jack, please. I just...I need time, alright? Just don't call me, for a few weeks at least..." Once again Jack looked away from her and ran his hand through his hair, that was slowly starting to grow longer.

"Your going to take her away from me? but she needs me. you know she can't fall asleep unless..." Kate shook her head and couldn't help but laugh. "That's just in your head. If she's tired, she'll go to sleep." Instantly Kate felt horrible and tried to correct herself but knew it was to late. "Jack...You know I don't mean it..." But Jack was standing no where near her. He had returned to sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. Kate walked towards the door and sighed as she closed it behind her.


	12. Remembering Sunday he falls to his knees

Hold on for One More Day

Chapter 12

"Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into mine..." The black and white movie continued to play on the TV but no one was watching it. The house had been abandoned Friday night and was yet to be reinhabited. Hours later, when the movie was long past over, a key turned in the lock and Jack stepped into his home. He tried to stay away from the memories taht walking through the halls brought to his mind. Kate and Natalie lived her for less than a year but he still couldn't look around the house without being reminded of all that he lost.

Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney. He used the Golden Pass that Oceanic had given them almost every weekend and each time he prayed that the plane would crash, he prayed taht he would get a second chance at the happiness he once had. he barely spent the night at the house, but whenever he did he spent a restless night on the couch, refusing to sleep in the bed that he once shared with Kate. He spent most weekdays at the hospital, sometimes working up to 32 hours without any sleep. He had become an empty shell and was nothing like the _hero_ he once was.

The kitchen and the living room were basically the only two rooms he went into, using the kitchen for only one thing, a room to store the magical liquid that would drown away all the sorrows in his pathetic excuse of a life. So every night he would slowly go into the pantry and grab his bottle of liquour and then sit on the couch and drink until he couldn't feel the pain anymore. Tonight was no exception. Jack found a bottle of Daniel's on the cupboard floor and bent down to pick it up, grabbing a different bottle with it for when he finished this bottle. A new classic movie had already started, a movie that was all to familar to Jack. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby." Following the road that would lead you home, to the way things had always been. Jack cringed at the thought and down the bottle currently residing in his hand. If he could punish himself then maybe he would realize that he had to get them back, no matter what it took. His mind began to wonder, and eventually led him to a play that he'd seen with his mother as a young boy. The man's name was Benjamin Barker and he had the perfect life until the jealousy of a judge took him away from his wife and daughter. When he was finally released he took up a life of revenge as Sweeney Todd. The words Todd spoke were what stuck with Jack, "I will have venegeance, I will have salvation." But the difference between Sweeney and Jack was that Jack's revenge was not angled at the people but at himself. he was the reason he felt this way, felt so alone. If he had just defended the people he loved then he wouldn't be living in this misery.

Today was a Sunday, a day filled with memories, as everyday was, but for some reason Sunday's were the worst. On Sunday's, Kate and Jack would always spend the entire day with each other and they would catch up on what they missed through the week. Their mornings would always start with Jack making them breakfast, since Kate usually slept in. Then, after breakfast, they would spend time with Natalie, often taking her to the beach and letting her play in the sand. Natalie usually went to bed around 8:30 and then Jack and Kate would sit on the couch, Kate cuddled closely to Jack, and they wold turn on the classic movies that Kate loved so much. And ever since Jack had punished himself by putting those movies on and sitting alone on the couch with his bottle of alcohol to reminisce on what he once had.

Every morning he woke up feeling as though he didn't belong, that he was a stranger in a strange land, but no matter the pain it brought to wake up he still managed to go on with his day.

Jack had attempted to committ suicide one night but instead caused a car accident, almost resulting in a woman and her son's deaths. From that point on Jack obsessed with his mission to find Kate, calling her at least four times a day. He had no idea where she went and when he tried asking her parole officer but all the man told him was that she was the second most important man in her life. For week's jealousy raged through him as he pictured Kate lying next to Sawyer with Natalie, his daughter, his little girl, crying out for him. It was the scene that haunted his dreams and he couln't escape it until he called Kate again. When he was about to give uup a voice came through with a hello.

"Hello? Kate? It's me...No just...I know but I just need to know...Are you with Sawyer?"

Kate had just gotten Natalie to go to sleep, a task that usually was virtually impossible, when her cell phone went off, waking Natalie up and causing Kate to groan in frustration. When she realized who was on the other line, tears filled her eyes. His voice sounded exhausted and she could just see his deep brown eyes filled with guilt, guilt that didn't belong to him. She had told Jack that it was his fault, that he was the reason for her leaving, but deep down Kate knew that she left because things were getting to safe, to normal and she had to do the only thing she knew, run. When he mentioned Sawyer, Kate couldn't help but laugh. "Jack I'm...I haven't seen Sawyer since the day we were rescued..." As if on cue to Jack's next question a voice in the background rang through. "Katie, are you okay?" Kate sighed as she replied before returning to her conversation with Jack. "Listen, I have to go but you don't have to worry, we're both safe and...just give me a little more time, okay?" And with that Kate hung up, leaving Jack alone once again, but at least he knew where she was and that she was with the only other man in the world who lvoed her as much as he did, her father. There were only two men that ever called Kate, Katie, Tom and her dad and seeing as Tom's dead that only left her father, who Jack knew lived in L.A.

The next few days went smoothly as the lingering memory of the obituary and the woman from the car crash were pushed to the back of his mind. But today was the day of the funeral and Jack resorted back to his pills and alcohol, driving around with Nirvana blasting on the radio. It was late that night before Jack tried to call Kate again. He had taken off his jacket and was wearing only his jeans and a wife beater. His bottle of whiskey was in one hand and his ringing cell phone in the other and he listened until her voice broke through.

"Hello? Jack I asked you not...I don't have...Fine but I'm not bringing her with me..." Kate hung up without saying goodbye again and slowly moved around the house, putting on a blue tank-top and a pair of jeans that she had bought after she had Natalie. She slowly ran her hands down her hips, smoothing out her shirt, and let out a mangled sob. Natalie was standing up in her crib now, looking at her with big brown eyes and Kate gave her a sad smile. "Hey Nat..." Natalie gave her a small pout before she sat down in the bottom of the crib and began wailing on the top of her lungs, holding her arms in the air for Kate to pick her up. Once she was safe in Kate's arms, she calmed down, and she looked up to Kate again and in a little baby gurgle said "Dada..." Kate slowly let the tears fall again, seeing how her running away, her inablity to stay still was hurting her daughter. Kate walked over to the DVD player and turned it on, sitting with Natalie in her arms. An old interview from after the crash was on the TV and Jack was talking to a reporter, a smile on his face as he looked around at all the survivors. This was Kate's secret to getting Natalie asleep when Jack wasn't there, her last resort so that Natalie could hear his voice. Natalie's limp body was leaning against Kate as she slowly drifted to sleep and Kate placed her in the crib, saying goodbye to her father, who gave her a knowing look and a sad smile. She shut the front door behind her and walked over to her father's Saab and climbed in, starting the engine and driving to the only place they went to get away, the place where they were both heading to start their entire journey together, LAX.


End file.
